E-bikers want in Bike Lanes

Toronto’s bike versus car debate was put on hold Thursday, as yet another player entered the fray in the fight for space on the city’s roads.

E-bikes were on the agenda at a meeting of the public works committee at City Hall, where proponents of the battery-powered scooters petitioned councillors to change city rules that prohibit them from traveling in bike lanes.

The electric vehicles have pedals but many types can operate without foot power. By provincial law they’re limited to speeds under 32 km/hr, compared to an average bicycle speed of between 15 – 20 km/hr. While they’re much slower than cars, they’re not allowed in bike lanes or on multi-use off-road trails, which Toronto’s municipal code restricts to bikes without a power source.